News & Stats

Barn Notes

Hills Has Pair in Saturday Turf Feature

Posted Thursday, Sep 5, 2013

Saturday’s
$40,000 allowance/optional claimer at 5 ½ furlongs on Monmouth turf appears on
paper to be stacked with early speed.Now add in trainer Tim Hills’s pair of Triple E and It’s Time to Laugh,
both of whom have not been close up early in recent events; however, the
trainer believes that’s about to change on Saturday.

“I’m
putting blinkers on both of them,” said Hills, leading Monmouth Park
trainer in 2002 and 2004. “I want them both to be closer early and that should
certainly help.It’s not as if they’re
getting beat by much, so I just want to put them in the game a little bit
earlier.”

Triple E,
an 8-year-old gelding, who has captured two of seven lifetime wins on Monmouth
turf, has drawn post six as he makes his fifth start in 2013.The son of Storm Boot out of the stakes
placed mare Tres Norte has earned $314,363 in his career, by far the most in
the field of nine runners.Triple E
himself is stakes placed, having finished second in last year’s John McSorley
Stakes at 5 ½ furlongs on turf.

In
preparation for Saturday’s race, Triple E worked a bullet three furlongs in :36
on Sept. 2.

“I wasn’t
looking for anything that fast,” Hills said.“It was more of him just feeling good and doing what he wanted.”

It’s Time
to Laugh, a 5-year-old gelding by Irish Road from Out of Laughs, has drawn post
eight and is a course and distance winner, having taken an entry level
allowance last spring.Two of his three
lifetime wins have come on Monmouth turf.Saturday will mark his third start of the year.

“It’s a
tough race,” Hills said.“But they’re
both doing well and hopefully the blinkers will help.”

Saturday’s
eighth race goes at approximately 4:27 p.m.Gates open Saturday at 11:30 a.m., with first post set for 12:50 p.m.